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Truck Emissions

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has promulgated regulations, including the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation and the Omnibus regulation, that have caused truck manufacturers to severely restrict the availability and sale of new diesel trucks in California.  A number of states have adopted these CARB regulations, as permitted under the Clean Air Act. CARB has also promulgated an Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, the counterpart to ACT requiring motor carriers to purchase zero-emission trucks as part of their California fleet, but the regulation must first receive a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before becoming enforceable. The EPA finalized a rule in early 2024 that would essentially force a transition nationwide to zero-emission trucks, albeit on a more flexible and slightly less stringent scale than CARB’s ACT regulation. These efforts were emboldened by an actively supportive Biden administration.

President-elect Trump, on the other hand, has emphasized the continued importance of fossil fuels, supported increased fossil fuel production, and has opposed a mandated transition to electric trucks. In his first administration, then President Trump, for the first time ever, rescinded a waiver previously granted to CARB by the EPA.  The industry expects President-elect Trump to use a variety of tools to ease the pressure on trucking companies created by mandated transitions to electric trucks that are unrealistic given electricity generation challenges, vehicle and battery range limitations, and nonexistent charging infrastructure.

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News from Scopelitis is intended as a report to our clients and friends on developments affecting the transportation industry. The published material does not constitute an exhaustive legal study and should not be regarded or relied upon as individual legal advice or opinion.

Truck Emissions

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has promulgated regulations, including the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) regulation and the Omnibus regulation, that have caused truck manufacturers to severely restrict the availability and sale of new diesel trucks in California.  A number of states have adopted these CARB regulations, as permitted under the Clean Air Act. CARB has also promulgated an Advanced Clean Fleets (ACF) regulation, the counterpart to ACT requiring motor carriers to purchase zero-emission trucks as part of their California fleet, but the regulation must first receive a waiver from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) before becoming enforceable. The EPA finalized a rule in early 2024 that would essentially force a transition nationwide to zero-emission trucks, albeit on a more flexible and slightly less stringent scale than CARB’s ACT regulation. These efforts were emboldened by an actively supportive Biden administration.

President-elect Trump, on the other hand, has emphasized the continued importance of fossil fuels, supported increased fossil fuel production, and has opposed a mandated transition to electric trucks. In his first administration, then President Trump, for the first time ever, rescinded a waiver previously granted to CARB by the EPA.  The industry expects President-elect Trump to use a variety of tools to ease the pressure on trucking companies created by mandated transitions to electric trucks that are unrealistic given electricity generation challenges, vehicle and battery range limitations, and nonexistent charging infrastructure.

News from Scopelitis is intended as a report to our clients and friends on developments affecting the transportation industry. The published material does not constitute an exhaustive legal study and should not be regarded or relied upon as individual legal advice or opinion.